Mooring dirigible aircraft



July 5, 1927.

J. A. STElNMETZ MOORING DIRIGIBLE AIRCRAFT Filed Dec. 2 1925 grwwntoz I Quota 5 l aieniecl July 5, 3532?.

1,634,964 FFIQE.

.TQSELH STEINHETZ, Q35 XHILABELPHIA, iPENNS'ZLVANIA. I

IEOQEING DIRIGIBLE AIRCRAFT.

Anglicatlon filed Bocembcr 2B, 1925. Serial No. 78,167.

lily invention relates to the mooring of dirigible balloons, and particularly to a method of bringing one to a safe anchorage :1 Her a flight.

in the accompanying drawings which are nu-rely illustrativczlsigure 1 shows a. dirigibie balloon attached to e mooring line from a mooring must.

in Figure2 the mooring mast is omitted.

Figure 3 shows an automatic clutch as seen from above.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a View from above of the mooring line engaging arms and clutch.

In these figures 10 represents a captive balloon, 11 a mooring line attached thereto, 12 a mooring mast and 13h winch upon which the mooring line may be wound.-

A dirigible balloon 14: carries at its forward end the spreading cable engaging arms 15 which extend forwardly and spread latorally in a V shape to pick up the mooring line 11 and guide it into asuitable automatic clutch. The clutch illustrated has one PlV- o'l'ed cam member 16 which is forwardly tapered and may have an extension 16 to prevent rotation beyond an operative position and a handle 18 for optional manual operation. a rigid tapered abutment 17.

In Figure 2 are shown the usual drag ropes l9 and a swiveled sheave block 20 which serves to guide the ,line tothe winch 13, which is' preferably operated by a motor. not shown.

The present method of mooring a dirigible balloon is to steer it in the direction of a station, lower it by partially deflating the balloon, throw out drag ropes which are grasped by large numbers of waiting men who draw the balloon to a mooring anchor, a most, or han ar shelter. When the balloon is to be an bored to a mooring mast of a .mother ship men in small boats are substituted for the men on land and these boats tow the dirigible balloon to her anchorage.

Under ideal conditions this is a. diflicult .slow and hazardous proceeding. Owing to the lightening of the balloon through the recluctibn inLthc fuei load, or the expansion of the gases within the same due to a rise in'temperature, the airship tends to rise and it is usual to reduce this excess buoyancy by opening gas valves. This involves the Opposite the cam member 16 is lossof valuable gas and deprives the ship of the power to immediately resume its flight, or even to rise quickly above build ings or other obstructions to aerial navigation that it may ride out an unex ected storm. mooring of a dirigible by the common methods very diilicult, and a low log me entirely obscure all landmarks from the irigible.

My method of mooring requires the use of very simple devices, which obviousl may be modified as required by s iecial con itio'ns.

In the form shown in iigure 2 the dirigihis is shown as having engaged the mooring line1ll and the drag ropes 19 have been low- (I'(( mooring line has been forced between the jaws o t the automatic clutch illustrated in Figure illl'uWS the line taught as the cam member 16 rips the line.

The wine 13 serves to draw the dirigible downwards until the drag lines reach the ground when the waiting crew can make the ship fast or move it into a hanger. Should the buoyancy of the dirigible tend to raise the free end while being moored, ballast Even a mild wind may ma e the The motion of the diri ible after'the may be shifted to overcome this tiltin The drag lines may be used to take on additional ballast before releasing the dirigible from the mooring line. The automatic clutch is adapted to release the line 11 when the latter is slackened by the winch and the dirigible is backed away.

The captive balloon 11 will carry suitable lightsignals and if desired may-also carry a balloonist as an observer. This captive balloon may be floated above the level of ground fogs and thus serves as a lighthouse to guide a dirigible to a desired mooriug and is an aid to'nayigation.

What I claim is:

l. The method of mooring aircraft which consists in'lifting a mooring linsby a, captive some to an elevation at which a dirigible may'be' safely navigated, and clutching a dirigible aircraft to said cable by devices carried by said dirigible aircraft.

QJThe method of mooring dirigible aircraft which consists incarrying aloft the free endof an anchored cable by a captive balloomnavigaiing a dirigible aircraft to engage and clutch said cubic by devices carried by said. aircraft and drawing said dirigible aircraft to a desired anchorage by force applied to said cable.

3. The method of mooring a dirigible halloom which consists in navigzlling said lozml loom to the anchoring cable ol. a captive balloon. attaching said balloon to the cable by means of clutching devices on said dirigible balloon and drawing it downwards by "force applied to the cable.

4. The method of mooring a clirigible bulloon which consists in elemting a free endof an all boring cable above the maximum os wee Ill 

